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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. degree — from a university
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cell — in biology
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cap — of ice
  12. swing — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — a phone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com